Kathleen O'Rourke was named in 1976 for an Australian lady as a gift from her husband. She had two ambitions in life; the first being to launch a ship (which was arranged by husband through his business contacts) and the second was to have a rose named for her.

Hi RosaholicI can't move those comments but I have been able to put Linda's 2006 comment in the Notes for 'Kathleen O'Rourke'.

(It all reminds me of a 1989 Heritage Roses in Australia journal article which said that one of the members, Beryl Warne "had a ship which is remembered with great affection by those who knew it." It turned out that she ran a shop, not a ship. But she apparently could have ran a ship if she had to.)